After a short walk a stone bridge over the chasm becomes visible. The bridge spans the gap, and is about four feet wide. It appears to be of good construction, very solidly built.
Once across you continue towards the faint glimmer of light.
It is several more minutes walk across the cavern floor before you reache the source of the sparkle of light. There is a pond with a stalagmite several yards from shore. The top of the stalagmite has been cut off, leaving a flat table about four feet above the surface of the water. Resting upon the stone is a lit candle.
The water is only a few inches deep near the shore, but appears to get a little deeper farther out, although it is difficult to tell beyond a few feet. The pond stretches a dozen or so feet to the right and about the same to the left. It is at least a few dozen feet across, as your light does not reach the far side. Splashing about in the water is a man in light clothes, bent over with his hands in the water.

As you watch the figure stands up and appears to be examining a small object in the light of the candle. It is too dark to make much out at this distance. What you can see is that the object is around a foot long, a few inches across, and sparkles slightly in the light. You are about two dozen yards away.

Realizing that sloshing about in the water would immediately alert the person to their presence, Arkas stays on shore, watching and waiting for them to return. Whoever this is probably has something to do with the disappearance of the man they seek, and if not, well, they can find out when they question him. "Let us wait here for him to return to the shore." He whispers to his companions. "We can accost him when he reaches us and question him." Once everyone has found a comfortable possition Arkas blows out his candle and watches.

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I like to think that there's a little Starbucks in all of us.

Leander accompanied the others mostly in silence, finding Arkas' suggestions to be worthy enough not to object. Mostly he came along in a manner as if expecting trouble, shield and sword ready. His manner isn't 'paranoid', yet more... just a soldier quite aware he is in 'badguy-land'.

Again, Arkas' suggestion of waiting for the man to come out of the water seems best. Leander gestures silently to the others, indicating positions he thinks best, then positions himself in the center of the arrangement. His positioning attemps to place Arkas and Sophia each on a flank, while he is a slightly farther back center... so that the stranger is hopefully fairly surrounded the moment they are on shore and the group reveals themselves.

As Khamisi went to put the crystal in his pocket, he noticed the faint glow of another candle behind him. Looking back, however, he saw nothing in the inky blackness. Looking back around again and seeing that the cavern had no other exit, he stepped out of the water and shook his feet before settling them back into the dry and dusty (not somewhat muddy) sandals he had left on the shore. The stone bumped up against his right thigh as he walked but it was almost comforting. While he didn't exactly know what it was or what power it held, he did have the scars to prove it (literally).

Scanning his vision over towards the exit, he swore he again saw light of some kind but again did not discern its source. Shrugging, Khamisi took the first few steps back towards the river and exit.

[Khamisi is the man that Arkas and Leander see in the water.]
As Khamisi walks back in the direction of the stone bridge he is quickly able to pick out the shapes of four figures standing close to one another. One is holding a lit candle.

Originally Posted by David#
[Khamisi is the man that Arkas and Leander see in the water.]
As Khamisi walks back in the direction of the stone bridge he is quickly able to pick out the shapes of four figures standing close to one another. One is holding a lit candle.

”

None of us are holding a lit candle.

__________________
I like to think that there's a little Starbucks in all of us.

[OOC: I had assumed that the spread of us in hiding positions by Leander would have put us a bit farther apart, and harder to notice. But that may be inaccurate. Either way, let us go forward. ]

Leander hefts his shield, placing it firmly between himself and the stranger. The sword is held at a casual 'ready' position behind it as he comes forward. "Declare yourself." he says, gruffly. "And your purpose here."

[And again, we were all hiding, so we would have extinguished our lights because none of us are brain damaged.

Look, I wouldn't keep arguing about this since Leander has already revealed himself, but pulling this kind of "Well you didn't specifically say you were doing something that you obviously would have had to do to succeed at what you were trying to accomplish" thing is really really not funny at all. This is exactly the same as having the character slam headlong into the door to a tavern because they didn't specifically state that they were opening it first. I just hope you aren't planning to continue using these kinds of things as obstacles because it just makes it seem like you've got no respect for your players.]

Arkas remains silent, Leander having said everything that he needed saying.

__________________
I like to think that there's a little Starbucks in all of us.

As Khamisi walked back towards the cavern's exit, a figure wielding a sword and shield suddenly emerged from the darkness, his body language and voice oozing apprehension and suspect.

"Declare yourself." he said, gruffly. "And your purpose here."

The priest froze in position. Who was *this* man and why was he here? If he was here to guard the jewel, why did he not stop Khamisi sooner? If he was here to rob him, why was he questioning him? If he was neither, then...well, Khamisi didn't know so he simply raised his hands slightly to get a better view and smiled, his white teeth reflecting the candlelight and looking not unlike a floating set of teeth and eyes in the darkness of the cave.

"Leander of Halisfield, House of Janzen." he says in response. "And you have not declared your purpose. This is no place one might encounter a casual wanderer."

Leander advances slowly, a measured step at a time. The shield comes first, the sword second, and the man third. His caution, nor his preparedness, have seemed impacted at all by the other man's declaration.

Khamisi chuckled nervously to himself; he indeed had not answered the man's question concerning his motives in the cave but at least Leander (whom he had addressed himself as) was cordial enough to answer the priest's question. As the now-obviously armed man made his way towards the Zehir, however, Khamisi paused slightly. Quirking his head to the side, a smile still affixed to his face, the priest continued his introduction in truth:

"I am simply here to assist a hermit that was rumored to live here...as you can imagine, his lack of contact with those outside would lend him in need of a priest. My fellows that wait upon me outside are also holding a contest as to whom can stay here the longest despite some curse though it is not my primary motivation in the least."

Khamisi looked into Leander's eyes just above the rim of his shield, the man still approaching. While threatening in a physical sense (arms and what not), he did not get the general sense that he was in danger. Regardless, he attempted to continue to read Leander and stood his ground.

Leander at first seems hesitant in his reply, then speaks in a firm tone. "We found the remains of a fire, with bones therein. Something was wickedly done, I think. And further in I suspect only more of the same."